October 9, the Society for Environmental Journalists made a homecoming back to Colorado. This year鈥檚 conference was held in Fort Collins, Colo., an hour away from where the organization held its first conference in 羞羞视频 (home of the CEJ), 28 years ago.
In true Colorado fashion, conference-goers experienced all four seasons during the 5-day conference. A dusting of snow didn鈥檛 stop planned tours, or keep journalists from roaming around the Front Range, engaging and experiencing activities related to many environmental issues: talking about energy at the National Renewable Energy Lab, learning about a toxic legacy at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, absorbing Western water issues at the Continental Divide, seeing wildfire damage above Fort Collins, or getting up close to farming in Greeley, Colo.
The impact of the CEJ was evident in the number of connections among journalists. Several former fellows and students presented on panels, led field trips, and even worked on the planning committee of the conference.
This years conference, which former Scripps Fellow Susan Moran was a conference co-chair for, was a great space for not only Scripps Fellows to reunite, but also for graduate student alumni of the 羞羞视频 and Center for Environmental Journalism -- digital editors, staff reporters, freelance journalists, public radio reporters and more.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an amazing community here and a lot of amazing 
connections to make just from coming to one conference alone,鈥漵aid Kelsey Simpkins, Digital and Engagement Editor at Future Earth and former Center for Environmental Journalism Research Assistant.
鈥淏eing able to come to SEJ was--and I don鈥檛 use this lightly because it鈥檚 very cheesy-
-a life-changing experience in a professional career context, because you join a much larger community than just the small CEJ community in 羞羞视频.鈥澨�
Simpkins said the CEJ added to her experience of going through the master鈥檚 program at the University of 羞羞视频 Colorado. She described the five fellows are valuable.
鈥淗onestly, they make the program,鈥� Simpkins said. 鈥淧eers are great, but you鈥檙e all learning at the same time or competing for the same things. The fellows are also peers, but without that sense of competition. They鈥檙e mentors.鈥�
At the SEJ conference, Simpkins hosted a panel on the environmental impacts of legal cannabis--a topic she studied during her second year in the CEJ at CU 羞羞视频.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something a lot of reporters don鈥檛 cover normally, so being a student and having that space and time to do it was really interesting,鈥� Simpkins said.
This year Simpkins was selected to host a panel on the environmental impacts of legal cannabis during the conference.听听
Simpkins wasn鈥檛 the only CEJ alum whose work was recognized during the conference. At Saturday鈥檚 Environmental Awards Luncheon, Lindsey Fendt, 2017-2018 Scripps Fellow and freelance journalist, won the Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Small Market, for her piece "They Took on the Philippines' Powerful Mining Interests, and Are Paying with Their Lives" for World Politics Review.
鈥淐oming to SEJ was also a big deal because I didn鈥檛 know anybody, and now I鈥檓 here and I feel like I know everybody,鈥� Fendt said in Fort Collins referencing her time during the fellowship.
Fendt spent her fellowship working on a book proposal about the murders of environmentalists. This year, she scored a book deal.
鈥淚 think the biggest thing is just the time,鈥� Fendt said about the fellowship. 鈥淗aving the time to step back and actually figure things out.鈥�
Fendt鈥檚 book is set to come out in November 2021.
Another fellow was also recognized during Saturday鈥檚 Environmental Awards Luncheon. Sadie Babits, 2017-2018 Scripps Fellow, edited Chris McCrory鈥檚 piece 鈥淎bandoned Mines鈥� for the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, which won the Ray Reece "Excellence in Environmental Journalism" Student Award.
Jeff Burnside, filmmaker, journalist and 2017-2018 Scripps Fellow, was part of presenting the awards at the luncheon alongside CU 羞羞视频 alum and freelance journalist Gloria Dickie.
鈥淭hat one year allowed me to do the kind of work on it that you don鈥檛 get paid for, so that鈥檚 why it was so valuable to do it, being able to do that during the fellowship,鈥� Burnside said.听听
Echoing Fendt鈥檚 comments on time, Burnside was able to research not just the content of his film project, but the business aspect as well.听
Burnside mentioned the camaraderie with fellows was one of his favorite parts of the fellowship.听
鈥淥ur particular fellowship class was quite close and remain very good friends,鈥� Burnside said.
The 2019 SEJ Conference truly brought it back home for fellows, students, and journalists who have spent time in Colorado.